Soulive (with Dave Mathews on Vocals) jazz up this tasty tidbit by Ani Difr… Read Full Bio ↴Soulive (with Dave Mathews on Vocals) jazz up this tasty tidbit by Ani Difranco (originally the song is the final track on her 1996 album "Dilate"). This version is from their 2002 album "Next," the first time they toured as a quartet (hence the sombre yet sweeping saxophone). Fans of all three artists are encouraged to dig on this.

Joyful Girl
Soulive Lyrics

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You do it for the joy it brings
Because you're a joyful girl
Because the world owes me nothing
And we owe each other the world
I do it 'cause it's the least I can do
I do it 'cause I learned it from you
I do it just because I want to
Because I want to

everything I do is judged
And they mostly get it wrong
But oh well
The bathroom mirror has not budged
The woman who lives there can tell
The truth from the stuff that they say
She looks me in the eye
And says would you prefer the easy way
No, well o.k. then
Don't cry

I wonder if everything I do
I do instead
Of something I want to do more
Question fills my head
I know there's no grand plan here
This is just the way it goes
When everything else seems unclear
I guess at least I know

You do it for the joy it brings
Because you're a joyful girl
'cause the world owes me nothing
And we owe each other the world
I do it, it's the least I can do
I do it, I learned it from you

I do it just because I want to
Because I want to

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Soulive's "Joyful Girl" express the notion of doing things for simple reasons, purely for the joy of it. The song seems to be an ode to a woman who inspires the singer to do good and see the world in a different way. The opening lines make it clear that the woman being celebrated is a "joyful girl" who does things for the sheer pleasure it brings her. The singer understands that they can learn from her approach to life and aspire to be more like her.

The lyrics delve into the idea that the world is not obligated to give us anything and we are not entitled to anything from it. However, human beings need each other and we should strive to give to one another as much as we can. The repeated line "we owe each other the world" reinforces the idea that we are responsible for making the world a better place, and that happiness can only come from a reciprocated and shared experience.

The second stanza speaks to the struggle of being judged by others and the difficulty of living up to the expectations of others. The singer questions whether the things they do are actually the things they want to do or whether they are simply fulfilling obligations placed upon them. The line "The bathroom mirror has not budged" suggests that the singer is reflecting on their sense of self, and even when external factors may make them feel insecure, they still know who they are. The woman who lives in the reflection has a deep sense of self-awareness and is able to differentiate between the truth and what others say.

Overall, the lyrics in "Joyful Girl" are about finding joy in the small things, taking the time to appreciate what we have and striving to be better through the influence of others. It is ultimately a hopeful song, ensuring that despite the chaos in the world, if we focus on the joy things, we can create meaning and find happiness in life.

Line by Line Meaning

You do it for the joy it brings
You find delight in what you do

Because you're a joyful girl
Your joyful nature is why you do what you do

Because the world owes me nothing
The universe does not owe me anything

And we owe each other the world
But we should help each other out as much as possible

I do it 'cause it's the least I can do
I do it because it's the minimum I can contribute

I do it 'cause I learned it from you
I add value because you mentored me

I do it just because I want to
I add value because I want to

Everything I do is judged
I'm under constant scrutiny

And they mostly get it wrong
Their judgments are mostly incorrect

But oh well
But I'm okay with that

The bathroom mirror has not budged
The reflection in the mirror has not changed